HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-03-2008 Library Commission MinutesSaratoga Library Commission
October 22, 2008 Meeting Minutes
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DRAFT
CITY OF SARATOGA
LIBRARY COMMISSION
MINUTES
DATE: December 3, 2008
TIME: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
LOCATION: Book-Go-Round
14410 Oak Street
Saratoga, CA 95030
1. Call to Order
Chair McBane Mulford called the meeting to order at 10:03.
2. Roll Call
Commissioners present: Khan, McBane Mulford, and Nilan. (Absent: Chiou, Lemmon.)
Others present: County Librarian Melinda Cervantes, Saratoga Community Librarian
Barbara Morrow Williams, Saratoga Administrative Analyst Crystal Morrow, Saratoga
Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Thomas Scott, Guests: Curtis Boone, intern, City of
Saratoga, and Lisa Pirlot, Teen Librarian, Saratoga Public Library
3. Report on Posting of the Agenda
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly
posted on November 26, 2008.
4. Accept Agenda Items and Order
No additional items were added pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2. McBane
Mulford moved to accept the agenda items and order, seconded by Nilan. Motion passed
3/0.
5. Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of October 22, 2008
Nilan moved to approve the minutes from the October 22, 2008 meeting, seconded by
Khan. Motion passed 3/0
6. Oral and Written Communication
No oral or written communications were presented to the Commission.
7. Old Business
A. Building Maintenance Update
1. Thomas Scott reviewed the November 26, 2008 memorandum re: Library Projects
Update that was distributed as part of the agenda packet. As of November 26, the
following facilities items have been completed at the Library:
* On November 24, Pacific Gas & Electric installed the new meter for the City in
the Library’s electrical room.
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October 22, 2008 Meeting Minutes
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Projects being worked on include:
* Transferring the City’s electrical usage to the new PG&E meter
* Working on getting all of the outside lights operating on the site. PG&E is
dragging its feet regarding reconnecting exterior lights. This poses a safety factor,
especially around the trash enclosure; the entry sign and light bollards have no power.
This is high on Scott’s list, and he will continue to work on this (Metro will not be paid
until this work is completed).
* Work continues on correcting the Children’s Area lighting problem. He is
getting paperwork from the contractor to do this project, and is getting ready to schedule
work. He noted that there may be considerable debris, but this will be cleaned up before
the library opens so that neither library staff nor patrons are exposed. This suggests
working on a series of Monday and Tuesday mornings, when the library is not open,
rather than working continuously. Morrow Williams urged that this work should be done
while the library was closed. All are looking forward to getting lots of light into the area.
There will be a financial award if the job is completed before time, a penalty if late.
2. Scott is working with List Engineering, a mechanical engineering consulting firm that
specializes in HVAC systems, to assess the library’s system and to recommend repairs of
an immediate problem: one boiler has not worked for some time, while the second is
working at 45-50% capacity. Unfortunately, there is no documentation regarding the
original system design.
This has been a long term problem, resulting from issues within the construction process
in implementation of the original design. Some areas of the library are overly warm while
others are uncomfortably cold. Temperature and light are very important to library
patrons; Morrow Williams reported that there have been many complaints, verging on
protest, from library users, while staff routinely bring blankets, shawls, and extra
sweaters to work. Standing fans are used in hot areas.
Quick fixes have been fruitless. Both boilers need to be replaced as soon as possible, but
Cervantes emphasized the need to not only repair the boiler but to rebalance the system
throughout the library, and improve the entire system. High ceilings with no fans have
also posed a problem. Also, photo electric monitors are also causing false alarms, with
fire detectors confused by dust within the system.
Originally, HVAC controls were automated and run from city hall as a cost savings
measure, but as it turns out the Saratoga library turns out to be most expensive building to
operate within the county library system.
Nilan pointed out that the HVAC system has been high on the list of concerns for long
term planning of use of the LCIF. Commissioners agreed that it was time for a
comprehensive review and remedial correction, rather than a quick fix of individual items
by different contractors.
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While temperature is a motivating factor, McBane Mulford asked about air quality, and
asked if a new service provider would be hired to maintain the air conditioning unit. Scott
noted that the warranty is up, and he would like to move to a reputable, efficient provider.
The Santa Clara County Library System took steps to address the problem by asking List
Engineering to report to Melinda Cervantes their recommendations and cost estimates.
She presented to the commission a preliminary quote of $278,962.50, including
construction documents, materials, and labor, with a contingency of 10 percent. (Costs
include fees for consultant design of solution, as well as a conceptual estimate for
constructions costs. A public procurement process will request bids will be requested for
labor, materials, etc. and result in a final cost for resolution. In asking that the
commission consider using the Library Capital Improvement Fund to pay for this
remedial correction, Cervantes pointed out the need to resolve this problem promptly,
within this FY08-09.
Given the urgency, but especially the large sum, of the request, McBane Mulford asked
that the commission be given time to review the report provided by List Engineering.
McBane Mulford added that since the 2008-2009 LCIF budget has already been approved
by City Council, any amendment to that budget must reviewed and approved by the City
Council.
McBane Mulford moved that a special a special meeting be held within two weeks to
discuss this proposal as a special budget amendment to the Library Capital Improvement
Fund of FY08-09. (Nilan seconded; passed 3/0). The meeting date was set for Monday,
December 8th. Crystal Morrow will post and send out documentation.
B. Library Commission Application and Interview Process
Crystal Morrow reported that the staggering of commission terms will be on the agenda
of the city council retreat on January 30th. Commissioners are invited to attend. She
added that some commissions are at risk of losing a significant number of commissioners
in one year (e.g. the Heritage Commission will lose four in 2010, while the Library
Commission could loose three). Most likely, some terms of newly appointed
commissioners or reappointed commissions will be shorter than the usual four years.
An additional problem arises with most city commission terms ending in April;
commissioners on the Library and Planning Commissions have been, until recently, the
exception, although in 2009, three Library commissioners will end their four year terms
this April. This has proven to be a burden on the city clerk, who must handle the
application and introduction of many new commissioners at one time, and at a busy time
in the city’s budget cycle. City staff have asked the City Council to spread terms, for
example, Library and Parks in October, Safety in January, Youth and Planning in April,
Heritage in June.
Nilan moved that the commission go on record in support of the staff recommendation
for both a review of term staggering for the Library Commission, and the staggering of
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October 22, 2008 Meeting Minutes
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city commission appointments across the year. Seconded by McBane Mulford, and
passed 3/0. The commissioners voiced their unanimous thanks to Crystal for her
persistence in this matter.
C. Long Term Planning for LCIF Update
Given the lengthy discussion of the special request for funding for the review and
correction of the HVAC/boiler problem, this item was postponed to next meeting
8. New Business
A. Commission Annual Activities Overview
Nilan will send Crystal a copy of the 2008 commission goals and her text of her report to
the City Council last April.
B. LCIF Fund Review and FY 2009/2010 Budget Allocation Planning
It was again noted that city documents should reflect that this fund is a capital
improvement, not a maintenance fund, as printed on the fund report for December 1,
2008.
The commission reviewed the fund balance statement, which currently stands at
$685,270. This does not include lighting and electronic improvement costs of around
$19,000 and an additional $3,000 for the PG&E meter installation to tie the city to the
meter ($11,473 has already been spent on the meter installation).
Lighting issues are the last items from the original 24 page “hit list” of unfinished
construction items following the opening of the library.
Commissioners agreed with Morrow Williams that it was important to not lose track of
the lobby/café improvement project and the outside book drop improvement. MM noted
that it was important to consider the café improvement and the HVAC project together,
and stressed that, as the HVAC system is overhauled, it was appropriate to engage the
building’s original architect to not only review the closing-in of the café but its
relationship to the HVAC solution. McBane Mulford will arrange a meeting with Mark
Scholz and Barbara Morrow Williams.
Scott asked if there have been any problems with the sewer. The recently repaired sewer
pipes in the children’s area is being monitored but given the design it may be a long term
issue. Morrow Williams reported some plug ups. The commodes are not properly tied
down. Scott noted that this is a city maintenance item. Damage to tiles around the
commodes will be considered routine maintenance.
The Book Drop improvement is currently not on the LCIF budget. Scott had no new
recommendations for 2009-2010, but reminded the commission to move forward the
$10,000 appropriation for contingencies.
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9. Reports
A. Melinda Cervantes, County Librarian
* The California Library Association Annual Conference was held in San Jose,
November 14 through 18. A number of employees as well as a few Friends and
Foundation members attended the conference. Master speakers included: Daniel Pink,
Michael Chabon and his wife Ayelet Waldman, Janette Walls, and Adrienne Barbeau.
* The kick-off event for the 2009 Silicon Valley Reads program will be held at the
Campbell Heritage Theatre on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, at 7:30pm. This year’s
selection is Not a Genuine Black Man: My Life as an Outsider, by Brian Copeland.
*The City of Gilroy passed a $37 million Library Bond Measure with 69.09% yes votes.
This is especially sweet since Gilroy competed in all three cycles of the 2000 Proposition
14 “Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act” grants, but was not funded.
* The Fifth Annual Library Friends and Commissioners Forum will be held on Saturday,
February 7, 2008, from 9:00am to noon, at the Library Administration offices. Save the
date!
* The Grand Opening of the beautiful new Milpitas Library will be held on Saturday,
January 10, 2009; a soft opening will occur on or before January 5, 2009. Library staff
began moving into the new library on Monday, November 18th.
* The Library JPA Board adopted the Santa Clara County Library Strategic Plan at their
October meeting. The Plan will soon be posted on the Library website. The next meeting
of the JPA Board is Thursday, January 2, 2009, at 1:30.
B. Barbara Morrow Williams, Community Librarian
* The Library has welcomed two new librarians. Morrow Williams introduced Lisa
Pirlot, Teen Librarian (full time). Lisa received her MLIS from the University of
Washington’s School of Library and Information Science in 2007. Dolly Goya, Librarian
(part time), has also joined the staff; she received her MLIS from San Jose State’s School
of Library and Information Science in 2007.
* Three new pages have been hired: Julie Galvin, Michele Kuo, and Pei-Jane Jing. Karen
Boyle, Circulation Supervisor, is interviewing applicants for a fourth position.
* The Library received a new microfilm/microfiche reader/scanner. New technology
enables the user to read microfilm and print out clearer and sharper copies than prior
models.
* Morrow Williams shared flyers about activities planned for the month of December.
* She also reported increased use of the library due to the current economic crisis.
Patrons are turning to the library rather than buy books. With job losses, some people are
giving up personal wireless accounts, and have turned to the library for online access and
help with job searching. The library is responding with a series of job search workshops
using the Training Room. Some of these workshops are planned in conjunction with West
Valley College’s Workforce Development Department. The Library’s career and jobs
section is being built up. She hopes the job kiosk, removed in April because patrons of
the Saratoga and Campbell libraries were not using the site enough, will be returned. She
speculated that the location of the kiosk within the library had been part of the problem.
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C. Sam McBane Mulford, Chair.
No report
D. Judy Johnstone, Friends of the Saratoga Library
No report.
10. Agenda Items for the Next meeting, February 25, 2009, to include:
A. Library Commissioner Application and Interview Process
B. Status of Library boiler review
11. Adjournment
Chair McBane Mulford adjourned the meeting at 11:45pm